Kodak Alaris has made 11% savings on annual energy costs at its UK manufacturing site, thanks to a new cloud-based energy-management product from DONG Energy.

Launched in 2015 after four years of in-house development, the Site Optimisation product analyses half-hourly signals from the energy market and calculates the most cost-efficient operating schedules for a specific site.

The software also takes operating constraints and asset availability into account, creating schedules that are not only cost-efficient, but are also practical to implement and make complete commercial sense.

Digital scanner, imaging and photographic product specialist Kodak Alaris aligned its plant operation to within 3% of the schedules recommended by Site Optimisation. The changes enabled the business to reduce daily planning time and delivered energy cost savings which far exceeded expectations.

David Jeans, Energy Manager at Kodak Alaris, said:

"Discovering this innovative product was a real 'light bulb moment' – it really does feel like a different plant now.

"We used to have a plan that didn't change all week because it was built on averages. Now we have a plan that changes from hour to hour, and that really optimises what the plant is doing each day."

DONG Energy's technical team worked closely with Kodak Alaris to assess a range of operational and technical requirements. This included focusing on the consumption of gas and electricity, export potential and any other site requirements, such as the variable need for steam. Site visits allowed DONG Energy's consultants to determine any operational constraints around particular assets, such as start-up periods and run times.

As David Jeans explains:

"From the word go, it's been a collaborative experience and we've been able to establish great relationships with the technical support team at DONG Energy, both in London and in Denmark. Their expertise complements ours, and they were extremely quick to understand the complexities of our site and what we were looking to achieve.

"I would definitely recommend Site Optimisation to other businesses that work in a similar way to us. From a business perspective, the savings you achieve by using the solution make it a no-brainer."

Site Optimisation creates daily run schedules that detail the optimal way to operate equipment, schedule production and generate electricity on-site or export to the grid. Run schedules are accessed via an online portal, where plant information can be updated and results can be viewed or printed.

"Whilst the primary benefit of Site Optimisation is the difference it can make to a business' bottom line, for some manufacturers it may also represent a first foray into energy flexibility.

"As the energy system evolves and the UK is focused on a more sustainable approach, flexibility will take centre stage. It's key to a green agenda, which is why DONG Energy is investing in flexibility and working so hard to develop innovative solutions, which will help businesses take part.

"Realising flexibility potential opens the door for businesses to participate in more formal demand side response schemes and ensure a better energy future for the UK as a whole."

Notes to Editors

About DONG Energy: DONG Energy (NASDAQ OMX: DENERG) is one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe, headquartered in Denmark. Around 6,500 ambitious employees, including over 700 in the UK, are engaged in developing, constructing and operating offshore wind farms; generating power and heat from our power stations; providing energy to residential and business customers on a daily basis; and producing oil and gas. Group revenue was DKK 71bn (EUR 9.5bn) in 2015. For further information, see
www.dongenergy.co.uk or follow us
@DONGEnergyUK on Twitter.